Striker plate



July 25, 1933.

c. MINZENMAYER 1,919,739

STRIKER PLATE Filed Aug. 25, 1931 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented July 25, 1933 UNITED STATES CHARLES MINZENMAYER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA STBIKEE PLATE Application filed. August 25, 1931.

19 prevent the insertion of various types of tools, such as a jimmy, or the like, for opening of the door by exerting pressure or prying action against the latch or bolt thereof. It is a further object of this invention to provide such a striker plate that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and capable of application to any ordinary door jamb with which a lock having a bolt or latch is used.

' One form of my invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, and further objects and advantages thereof will be made apparent in the following specification:

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is perspective view of a striker plate embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line III, III of Fig. 2, and showing the striker plate in position on a door jamb, and also showing the edge of a door in closed position with the latch inserted in the latch-receiving socket of the plate.

gig. 4: is a side view of the striker plate, an

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a latchguard which constitutes a part of the striker plate shown in the other views.

Referring more particularly to the drawin I show a striker plate which is provir ed with the usual lip 11 at its forward edge, against which the beveled latch strikes upon closing of the door. The latch plate is provided with a latch-receiving socket 12 and may also be provided with a bolt-receiving socket 13, as shown, in instances where the lock employed has both a knob actuated latch and a key actuated bolt. The plate 10 is provided at its rear edge with a flanged portion which I prefer to term a Serial No. 559,219.

front guard 14. The guard 14 extends downwardly beyond the lower end of the striker plate where it is continued to form a back guard 15. A guard similar to the back guard 15 may also be arranged at the upper end of the striker plate, if desired.

The latch-receiving sockets 12 and 13 are formed by pressing a rectangular piece of the striker plate back to a position at right angles to the plate, where they also serve as back guards l6 and 17 respectively.

The latch-receiving socket 12 is provided with a latch guard 18. The latch guard 18, a perspective view of which appears in Fig. 5, consists of a rectangular, substantially box-shaped member mounted for reciprocation through the latch-receiving socket in the following manner: the latch guard 18, as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, has a pair of ears 19 pressed from and extending outwardly from its opposite ends. The cars 19 are perforated to slidably receive pins or screws 20; these screws are connected to the striker plate and extend inwardly therefrom to form bearings upon which the latch guard 18 may reciprocate. Springs 21, interposed between the heads of the screws 20 and the cars 19 on the latch guard, normally urge the latch guard to its extended position, as

shown in Fig. l. A slot 22 formed in the so back guard 16, slidably receives a screw 23 carried by the latch guard to prevent tilting movement of the same and guide it in its reciprocal motion on the bearing screws 20.

In order to best understand the advantages presented by the invention, reference should be had to Fig. 3 in which I show the striker plate mounted upon a door jamb 2 1. The edge of the door co-operating with said pamb is illustrated at 25, and the conventional stop member which usually consists of a piece of wooden molding nailed against the jamb, is illustrated at 26. It has been the practice of thieves and burglars. in many instances, to enter a door provided with this type of look by merely inserting a caseknife, or other sharp flat tool, underneath the stop member 26 in the direction of arrow A, and thus force the latch illustrated at 27 out of the latch-receiving socket 12. In instances where precaution has been taken against the insertion of a flat tool in this manner, very thin pieces of spring steel, isinglass, celluloid, or the like, have been inserted in the direction of the arrow B, and it has been found that by careful manipulation such instruments are also effective in causing depression of the latch.

The manner in which the present invention prohibits the application of such instruments is clearly shown in Fig. 3, in which it may be seen that the latch guard 18, which is provided with curved or beveled outer edges 28, upon being struck by the closing door, is forced into a retracted position. The springs 21, however, which normally urge the latch guard to its extended positioin maintain it in close engagement with the edge of the door, and the latch guard thus serves to prevent a tool inserted either in the direction of the arrow A or the arrow B from engaging the latch. The front bafile 14 also serves to prevent the entry of a tool in the direction of arrow A, while the rear battles 15, 16 and 17 interrupt a tool which is inserted in the direction of arrow A and then forced beneath the striker plate to engage the latch from the opposite side thereof.

A further purpose of the battle 15 is to more securely fasten the striker plate in its position on the door jamb by being inserted into the jamb in the position shown in Fig. 3. The striker plate is provided with the customary holes 29 for the reception of screws to secure it in position on the jamb, and also has holes 30 through which screws may be passed into the stop member 26. Holes 31 are also provided and extend diagonally through the'striker plate, where it is joined with the guard 1i, so that screws may be inserted into the door jamb in a diagonal direction.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that I have provided a striker plate which, while relatively simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture, provides novel means for prohibiting the unauthorized opening of the look with which it is used, and is also more sturdy in construction than the usual type of striker plate, and capable of being more securely fastened to a door jamb.

\Vhile I have illustrated but a single form of my invention, and described the same in more or less specific terms, it should be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the arrangement and construction of its several parts within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination with a striker plate having a latchbolt receiving socket formed therein, a latchbolt guard, said latchbolt guard consisting of a housing, a pair of perforated ears extending outwardly therefrom, a pair of pins carried by the striker plate and slidably receiving said perforated ears whereby the housing may reciprocate through the latchbolt-receiving socket, and resilient means carried by the pins and engaging said ears to urge the housing to an extended position through said socket.

CHARLES MIN ZEN MAYER. 

